Diversity and Difference in England’s Northwest 2009
Regional Intelligence Unit NWDA Renaissance House Centre Park Warrington WA1 1XB Tel: 01925 400 291
Diversity and Difference 2009 Key Points This document is an update of the Diversity and Different Experiences report which was released in October 2008. It has been produced and updated to give a Northwest view of an Office for National Statistics (ONS) article entitled ‘Diversity and Different Experiences in the UK’. Equality is recognised regionally, nationally and internationally as a key aspect of progress in society. This document provides an overview of diversity in the Northwest, in comparison to England, and then examines the experiences of different groups in relation to overall trends in economic well-being, health, education and employment. The article focuses on differences by ethnicity, disability, socio-economic and household status with some examples of gender and age differences. •
The population of the Northwest is rising steadily and is becoming generally older. It now has fewer children as a proportion of the population and more older people.
•
The region has a population increasing in ethnic diversity, although a higher than national average White British population still remains.
•
More senior jobs in the Northwest are typically held by white men although there are increasing numbers of women in senior roles
•
The Northwest has an LGBT population equivalent to the size of Liverpool
•
Female earnings have increased at a greater rate than male earnings in the Northwest over recent years and at a greater rate than England as a whole
•
Child poverty has seen a gradual reduction over recent years in the Northwest but 1 in 4 children still live below the relative poverty line
•
Life expectancy in the Northwest lags behind England’s, the lowest 4 districts for male life expectancy are in the Northwest; Blackpool, Manchester, Liverpool and Blackburn
•
Alcohol consumption, smoking and obesity is more prevalent amongst lower socio-economic groups and generally more prevalent in the Northwest than England
•
GCSE attainment overall is improving across ethnic groups in the Northwest although children are still markedly disadvantaged by where they live
Introduction Last year, the Cabinet Office’s ‘Equalities Review’ proposed an equality measurement framework and ONS welcomed the focus on improving coherence in measuring equality across Government and subsequently ONS led a cross-government ‘Review of Equality Data’ and proposed a number of recommendations which would improve the equality evidence base underpinning this measurement framework. Reducing inequality is likely to remain a key policy concern. A recent report by the Cabinet Office’s Strategy Unit entitled ‘Realising Britain’s Potential’ concludes that ‘there remain persistent gaps between the life chances of people from different backgrounds starting from birth and continuing throughout their lives. This is key future challenge for Britain.’ This document provides an overview of diversity in the Northwest and England and describes variations for diverse groups in the context of overall trends. It first explores the changes in diversity in society with particular emphasis on ethnicity, socio-economic status, disability and household status before focussing on economic well-being, health, education and skills and employment and caring. It also reports on differing outcomes relating to gender and age of individuals where particularly relevant.
Regional Intelligence Unit
2
Diversity and Difference 2009 Overview A Diverse Population Over the past 25 years the English population has grown become generally older and more diverse (Table 1). The Northwest population has fluctuated over this time but is now rising steadily. As diversity increases, the nature of diversity within different groups in society is changing and different groups continue to have different experiences and outcomes. Fig 1.0 Northwest Population 1981-2008
Source: ONS Mid-year Population Estimates
Age The proportion of children (aged 14 and under) has been falling across the Northwest and England, however, this decline has been more pronounced in the region than nationally. The picture is similar for those aged between 15 and 39 where the population has been declining in the region compared with a moderate increase nationally. By contrast, there have been significant increases in the older working age (40-59 years) and pensionable age 1 has been expanding considerably, although at a slower rate regionally than nationally. The 2006 based sub-national population projections, which are consistent with the mid-2006 population estimates, provide an indication of future population levels if current trends continue. The projections indicate that growth will be highest among the older age cohorts both nationally and regionally. It is projected that by 2031 the Northwest will have an additional 842,700 people, which equates to a 12.3% proportional increase since 2006.
1
Pensionable age refers to those aged 60 and over
Regional Intelligence Unit
3
Diversity and Difference 2009 Fig 1.1 Quinary Age Structures in the Northwest (M & F) 1988, 1998 and 2008
Source: ONS Mid Year Population Estimates
Ethnicity The population is increasing in ethnic diversity (table 1). While the population remains predominantly White (White British is the majority ethnic group), the proportion of White individuals in the Northwest decreased from 94% in 2001 to 92% in 2007 compared with England which decreased from 91% to 88% over the same period. The largest component increase has been within the Asian population which has increased by 1 percentage point since 2001 in the Northwest and by 1.2 percentage points at the England level.
Regional Intelligence Unit
4
Diversity and Difference 2009 Table 1 Population by Ethnic Composition 2001 and 2007 England Northwest 2001 2007 2001 2007 White 90.8 88.2 94.3 92.1 Mixed 1.3 1.7 0.9 1.2 Asian or Asian British of which 4.6 5.8 3.5 4.5 Indian 2.1 2.6 1.1 1.5 Pakistani 1.5 1.8 1.8 2.1 Bangladeshi 0.6 0.7 0.4 0.5 Other Asian 0.5 0.7 0.2 0.4 Black or Black British of which 2.3 2.8 0.6 1.1 Black Caribbean 1.2 1.2 0.3 0.4 Black African 1.0 1.4 0.3 0.2 Black Other 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 Chinese 0.5 0.8 0.4 0.7 Other 0.4 0.7 0.2 0.4 Source: Population Estimates by Ethnic Group (experimental), ONS Figures may not add up due to rounding.
Ethnic diversity varies geographically within the Northwest (table 2). Greater Manchester is the most diverse sub-region in the Northwest with only 89% of individuals from White groups compared to Cumbria at 98% which is the least diverse sub-region. The second most diverse sub-region is Lancashire although this is mostly due to a large Asian population rather than an even ethnographic mix. Greater Manchester and Lancashire have above the regional average proportions of Asian or Asian British populations at 7 and 6% respectively.
Cumbria
Greater Manchester
Lancashire
92.1 1.2
96.5 0.9
97.9 0.3
87.9 1.7
91.6 1.0
95.6 1.2
4.5 1.5 2.1 0.5 0.4
1.3 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.2
0.7 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.1
7.0 1.9 3.5 1.0 0.6
6.2 2.4 3.1 0.4 0.3
1.3 0.6 0.2 0.1 0.3
1.1 0.4 0.2 0.1 0.7 0.4
0.5 0.2 0.3 0.0 0.4 0.3
0.3 0.1 0.2 0.0 0.3 0.2
1.9 0.7 1.0 0.2 0.9 0.6
0.6 0.2 0.3 0.0 0.4 0.3
0.9 0.2 0.6 0.1 0.8 0.3
Merseyside (inc. Halton)
Cheshire & Warrington
White Mixed Asian or Asian British of which Indian Pakistani Bangladeshi Other Asian Black or Black British of which Black Caribbean Black African Black Other Chinese Other
Northwest
Table 2 Population by Ethnic Composition and Sub-region 2007
Source: Population Estimates by Ethnic Group (experimental), ONS Figures may not add up due to rounding.
Primary school age children show a greater degree of ethnic diversity than the total population (Table 3). In the Northwest, 14% of school children in maintained schools were from non-White ethnic groups compared to 19% in England. At a sub-regional level Greater Manchester shows a high level of diversity with 76% of primary aged children white, 14% Asian and 4% Black. Lancashire, as with its adult profile
Regional Intelligence Unit
5
Diversity and Difference 2009 has a large proportion of Asian children (10%), Merseyside, Cumbria and Cheshire have larger white populations within their schools than the regional average. Table 3 Primary School Pupils by Ethnic Composition and Area, January 2009 White Mixed Asian Black Chinese Other Ethnic Group England 79.2 4.1 9.3 4.9 0.3 1.4 Northwest 85.2 2.6 8.7 1.7 0.4 0.9 Cheshire 95.5 1.9 1.2 0.3 0.3 0.3 Cumbria 96.8 0.9 0.5 0.1 0.2 0.1 Greater Manchester 76.0 4 14 4 0.5 1.4 Lancashire 86.8 2.1 10 0.3 0.2 0.3 Merseyside 93.4 2.2 1.3 1.3 0.5 0.9
Unclassified 0.7 0.6 0.6 1.4 0.6 0.4 0.4
Number of Pupils 452,530 42,770 29,890 176,270 74,080 94,970
Source: Pupil Characteristics and Class Sizes in Maintained Schools in England: January 2009 (Provisional), DCSF
The age profiles of different ethnic groups vary with most ethnic minority groups having a younger age structure than the White British population (Table 4). The Mixed, Black Other, Bangladeshi and Pakistani groups have the youngest age profiles and the White Irish group has the oldest profile. Table 4 Population by Ethnicity and Age 2007 Children (0-15) England
Northwest
84.2 4.1 7.2 3.4 0.5 0.6
88.8 2.9 6.4 1.1 0.5 0.3
White Mixed Asian Black or Black British Chinese Other
Working Age (1664M/59F) England Northwest
Older People (65M/60F and Over) England Northwest
87.1
91.4
95.9
97.7
1.4 6.3 3.1 1.0 1.0
1.1 4.8 1.3 0.9 0.6
0.3 2.2 1.3 0.2 0.2
0.2 1.3 0.5 0.2 0.1
Source: Population Estimates by Ethnic Group (experimental), ONS Figures may not add up due to rounding.
Socio-Economic Status The trend towards more managerial and professional and fewer routine or semi-routine status jobs in the Northwest and English economy has continued over the last seven years. Both men and women are represented to a greater proportion in senior management occupations. Men make up a larger proportion of employment in senior management but in absolute terms the number of women in this category has increased by 8% compared to 5% for men within the Northwest. Looking at occupational groups by ethnicity shows that in the Northwest as a proportion of those employed there are proportionately more ethnic minority employees in elementary positions, process and plant work, sales and services and personal services. By contrast there are proportionately more white employees in management and senior officiate positions, associate and technical and administrative and secretarial. The only anomaly in this trend is for professional occupations where there are proportionately slightly more ethnic minority employees than white (figure 1.2). The Northwest makeup does not diverge radically from the English make up in terms of occupational group by ethnicity.
Regional Intelligence Unit
6
Diversity and Difference 2009 Figure 1.2 Occupational groups by ethnicity in the Northwest 2009
Source: Annual Population Survey 2009
Disability In the Northwest 20% of the working population are disabled. Data for 2008 highlights that 44% of disabled people in the region are in employment compared to 51% nationally. Those classed as economically inactive (all people) in the Northwest is 24% and 52% for disabled people. The Northwest has a high proportion of disabled people, many of whom are unable to work because of it. There is some correlation between high levels of deprivation and the proportion of the population with a disability. 19.9% of the working age population in the Northwest are classified as disabled – the figure for England is 18%. Only the North East has a higher proportion (22.3%). Furthermore 3.1% of the working age population are work limiting disabled, and 4.1% are Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) disabled.
Sexual Orientation The Northwest region has a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) population of roughly 430,000 – that equates roughly to the population of Liverpool. However in spite of its size policy makers in the region have a limited knowledge and understanding of the needs of its LGBT population. The LGBT population tends to be invisible within much public discourse regarding equality programmes and initiatives and there exist a general perception that their issues are given low priority status.
Household Status The proportion of people living alone has increased in the Northwest over the 10 year period from 1996 to 2006, at a higher rate than for England. Over the last 10 years, the proportion of people living alone has increased in the Northwest from 25.8% in 1996 to 31.6% in 2006 and from 27.4% to 27.9% in England. Over the 10 years of 1996 to 2006 the proportion of younger women living alone in the Northwest has decreased where as the proportion of younger men has increased. The proportion of older women living alone in the Northwest has decreased considerably compared to England and the proportion of older men living alone in the Northwest has marginally decreased.
Regional Intelligence Unit
7
Diversity and Difference 2009 In 2001 more Black people than Asians were living alone, more Asians were in married couples than Black people and more people of a mixed ethnicity were in cohabiting couples than Asians across the Northwest and England. Table 5 People in Households by Type of Household and Family 1996 England Northwest England One Person 27.4 25.8 27.9 One Family Households Couple No Children 28.5 26.4 31.2 Dependent Children 25.3 26.8 22.3 Non Dependent Children Only 6.4 8.0 5.2 Lone Parents 9.1 10.7 9.5 Other Households 3.3 2.4 3.9
2006 Northwest 31.6 28.2 21.1 5.1 9.9 4.2
Source: General Household Survey 1996-1997 and 2006, UK Data Archive
In 2001 the highest proportion of an ethnic group that were living alone in the Northwest were within the Black population (42.2%) compared to the lowest proportion being amongst the Asian population (12.4%) which is consistent with the England averages at 34.9% and 14.2% respectively. The highest proportion that were in a married couple in the Northwest were amongst the Asian population (54.7%) with the lowest proportion being amongst the Black population (20.0%) which again is consistent with the England averages of 51.5% and 20.9% respectively. The highest proportion of people in cohabiting couples in the Northwest were of mixed ethnicity (10.9%) and the lowest proportion were Asian (2.6%) compared to 10.9% and 2.4% respectively across England. There is slight variation when looking at lone parents with the highest proportion in the Northwest being amongst the mixed population (21.2%) and the lowest amongst the Asian population (8.7%) which compares to England where the highest is amongst the Black population (22.5%) and the lowest amongst the Chinese population (8.5%) Table 6 Proportion of Men and Women Living Alone by Age 1996 England Northwest Women Aged Between 25 and 44 30.1 16.7 Women Aged 75 and Over 90.4 92.3 Men Aged Between 25 and 44 Men Aged 75 and Over
12.7 33.8
13.6 34.6
England 16.9 87.0
2006 Northwest 14.5 86.0
14.9 37.7
18.1 33.3
Source: General Household Survey 1996-1997 and 2006, UK Data Archive
Material Wellbeing In 2007 the Northwest ranked 6th out of the nine English regions in terms of Gross Disposable Household Income (GDHI) per capita, with a figure of ÂŁ13,038. London is the leading region with GDHI per capita 23% above the England average whilst the North East was 16% below the England average. Over the period 1997 to 2007 average annual GDHI per capita growth in the Northwest matched the England average rate of 3.8%. GDHI in the region has remained relatively stable, around 90 and 89% of the England average. Over the 1997 to 2007 period as a whole only two regions experienced GDHI per capita growth relative to the England average, London 3.3 percentage points and the East Midlands 0.5 percentage points. Data for NUTS 2 areas shows that there are large sub-regional disparities in GDHI. In 2007 there was a 17.5% difference between the best and worst performing NUTS 2 areas in the Northwest. In 2007 only Cheshire had GDHI per capita above the England average, Cumbria had GDHI per capita 95% of the England average, whilst Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside recorded levels below 90%. Over the period 1997 to 2007 only two NUTS 2 areas in the Northwest experienced GDHI per capita growth relative to the England average, Cheshire and Cumbria; all other areas experienced small declines.
Regional Intelligence Unit
8
Diversity and Difference 2009 The median gross weekly earnings for residents within the Northwest are £451 per week; behind London, the South East and the East. The average for England is £484 per week, above the Northwest average but this is heavily skewed by London. Since 2002 the median gross weekly pay for Northwest residents has risen from £370 per week to £451 per week in 2008 – an increase of 18%. At the England level pay has risen on average from £397 per week in 2002 to £484 per week in 2008 – also an increase of 18%. Fig 1.3 Median Gross Weekly Pay For Male, Female, FT and PT Workers in the Northwest
Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings
Female earnings in the Northwest have increased by 20% both for full time and part time work between 2002 and 2008 whereas male earnings have on average increased by 17% by full time and 13% for part time work (figure 1.3). Compared to national figures full time female pay has risen by a greater proportion in the Northwest than in England and male full time pay has risen by the same proportion for both the Northwest and England. For part time pay the proportionate England rise is larger for both males and females than in the Northwest. In 2007 25% of children in the Northwest were at risk of living in low-income households a proxy for child poverty2. This is above the England rate of 22% although is fifth compared to other government office regions. The percentage of children living in relative low-income households decreased in the NW between 1995/6-1997/8 and 2003/4 – 2005/6 by 6 percentage points before housing costs and 5 percentage points after.
2
Households below 60 per cent of median equivalised household income before housing costs
Regional Intelligence Unit
9
Diversity and Difference 2009 Fig 1.4 % Children at risk of living in low income households NW and England 2001-7
Source: DWP 2008
Health Average life expectancies in the Northwest and England have increased steadily over the last century with females expected to live longer than males. In 2005–07, South Lakeland had the highest male and female life expectancy at birth in the Northwest but is well below the highest local area in England and Blackpool had the lowest life expectancy at birth for males in England. The districts with the 4 lowest life expectancies in England for men are in the Northwest; Blackpool, Manchester, Liverpool and Blackburn. The district with the lowest female life expectancy in the Northwest was Halton, which was second lowest in England above only Hartlepool in the North East. Analysis across the regions by age shows that prevalence of obesity rises with age for both genders, with the highest prevalence rates among the 35-54 years and 55-74 years age cohorts. In the Northwest, prevalence peaks among the 55-74 years group for both genders with little variation between the genders for each age cohort. The Northwest is second highest for obesity prevalence for the regions for both men and women with Yorkshire & Humberside higher for men and the West Midlands higher for women. In 2003, 23% of the male population were classified as obese in the manual social class compared with 21% in the non-manual cohort. By comparison, 28% of women were classified as obese in the manual social class and 19% in the non-manual social class. Figure 1.5 Prevalence of obesity in the Northwest by age cohort and gender, 2003
Source: Forecasting Obesity to 2010
Regional Intelligence Unit
10
Diversity and Difference 2009 Analysis of obesity levels by ethnicity highlights a higher incidence of obesity among females for both ethnic groups and across all age bands. The trend for both genders is increased prevalence of obesity among the 55-74 years age cohort, indicating that generally people become less active with age. Obesity levels amongst Primary School reception year pupils in the Northwest are level with the England average at 10.2%. There is a clear link between levels of obesity in reception age children and deprivation. The Northwest has the lowest percentage of population without a mental disorder – 71% - compared with the England figure of 77%. Analysis of people by number of mental disorders indicates that the North West Regional Office area has the highest percentage of adults with one disorder – 26% of women and 23% of men; above the England prevalence ratios of 20% of women and 19% of men. The survey results show that the characteristics of adults with any psychiatric disorder are typically white, married/cohabiting with children and aged between 25-44 years for women and 35-44 years for men. Analysis of prevalence of neurotic disorder by qualifications and employment status indicate that those affected will be qualified to GCSE level and be in employment or economically active. The percentage of persons aged 16 and over who drank in the week prior to being interviewed ranges from 53% in London to 68% in the South West and North West. The results highlight that men have a greater propensity to drink alcohol with all regions evidencing a higher proportion of men drinking in the last week than women. Of the respondents who drank in the week prior to survey, 16% drank on 5 or more days in the Northwest, which is slightly above the national figure of 17%. The results indicate significant differences between the genders with 20% of male respondents in the Northwest drinking on 5 or more days compared to 12% of female respondents. Smoking prevalence is higher amongst routine and manual workers, regardless of gender whereas managerial and professional workers have the lowest prevalence. At a regional level, four of the nine English regions have a higher prevalence rate than the national average; West Midlands, Northwest, North East and Yorkshire & the Humber. Despite a trend of decline in cigarette smoking the Northwest has the joint highest prevalence rate of cigarette smoking for all persons - 23%, above the England figure of 21%. The proportion of all persons over 16 years of age smoking in England in 2007 was 21%. This is a reduction of 6% since 2001. Prevalence is higher among the male population with 22% of men smoking cigarettes in 2007 compared with 19% of women. Infant mortality rates in the Northwest and England have fallen dramatically over the decades but remain higher in the Northwest than England (but level with the UK rate). The Northwest rate in 2007 was 5 deaths per 1,000 births compared to 4.8 for England. In terms of low-weight live births 7.3% of children in the Northwest were of a low weight compared to 7.2% for England. Some ethnic groups reported higher rates of poor health than average in Census 2001 (Figure 1.7). White Irish men and women in the Northwest and England reported the highest rates of ‘not good health’ in 2001 (18.8% and 18.2% respectively for the Northwest and 14.9% and 13.9% for England) and Chinese men reported the lowest rates of ‘not good health’ (5.5% in the Northwest and 3.6% in England).
Regional Intelligence Unit
11
Diversity and Difference 2009 Figure 1.6 Percentage of Population with ‘Not Good’ Health by Ethnic Group and Sex, 2001 England Northwest
Source: Census 2001
Education and Skills An increasing number of pupils in the Northwest and England are achieving five or more good GCSEs or equivalent. Girls continue to outperform boys in the achievement of five or more good GCSEs or equivalent (Table 20). There were a larger proportion of pupils from all ethnic groups achieving five or more good GCSEs or equivalent in 2007 compared with 2003. In 2007, Chinese pupils in the Northwest were most likely to achieve five or more good GCSEs or equivalent and pupils from Black ethnic groups least likely. Children receiving free school meals, which is often used as a proxy for deprivation, were considerably less likely to achieve five good GCSEs or equivalent. Children from deprived areas are far less likely to achieve 5 GCSEs at grades A*-C than those from nondeprived areas. In the Northwest the average attainment from 20% most deprived areas was 25% and at the England level it was 27% - both well below halve the equivalent overall rate. Around 20,000 or 8% of 16-18 year olds were classified as Not in Employment, Education nor Training (NEET) in the Northwest in 2008. This proportion has declined since 2006 but is still above the England rate of 6.7%.
Education and Skills Table 7 % of Pupils achieving 5 or more GCSEs A*-C by Ethnic Group England 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2003 White 51.3 52.3 55.2 57.2 59.5 49.6 Mixed 49.3 49.7 54.8 55.7 57.8 47.4 Asian 52.8 55.3 59.2 60.9 63.0 45.8 Black 36.3 39.0 45.8 47.9 52.8 37.8 Chinese 74.8 74.2 82.3 79.8 83.7 74.3 All Pupils 50.7 51.9 55.0 57.0 59.3 49.1
2004 51.0 48.1 51.0 38.4 73.3 50.6
2005 54.4 52.7 52.8 46.2 76.3 54.1
Northwest 2006 2007 56.6 59.9 56.7 57.1 54.5 58.3 46.9 56.4 77.6 81.0 56.2 59.6
Source: National Curriculum Assessment, GCSE and Equivalent Attainment and Post-16 Attainment by Pupil Characteristics, DCSF
In 1999/00, 19.1% of the working age population had no qualifications compared to 16.5% for England and Wales. The comparative proportion with the highest level qualifications (NVQ4+) was 19.6% in the
Regional Intelligence Unit
12
Diversity and Difference 2009 Northwest and 22.4% in England and Wales. However skills in the region have improved in recent years, there are now more individuals holding NVQ4+ qualifications in the region and fewer individuals with no qualifications. Figure 1.7: Highest qualification attained (Source: ONS Local Area Labour Force Survey & Annual Population Survey)
Source: Annual Population Survey 1999 to 2008
Employment Out of the disabled populations in the Northwest the employment rate is 44.6% compared to 51.1% for England rate. Also 49.5% of the Northwest disabled population is economically active compared to 56.1% for England. If the employment rate of the region matched the England average, there would be 50,000 more workers in the labour force. Since 2004 in the Northwest the disabled employment rate has increased from 43.9% to 44.6%. Economic activity has increased from 47.2 to 49.2. The Northwest has been below the England rates across these dates but larger proportionate increases in employment rates and economic activity rates. The working age employment rate for ethnic minorities in the Northwest is 55% - the equivalent rate for England is 61%. The Southwest has the highest ethnic minority working age employment rate at 71% and conversely the West Midlands has the lowest (53.6%) – none of the Northern Way regions meet the England rate. The highest employment rate by ethnic group is amongst Indians at 69% although this is below the England rate of 70.3%. The lowest employment rate by ethnic group is amongst Pakistanis and/or Bangladeshis at 47.3%. This is consistent with other regions and is above the England average of 45.7%. This is the exception – for every other ethnic group the Northwest’s rate is lower than for England. The employment rate for people aged between 50 and 65 is 67% - lower than England which stands at 72% - only the North East’s rate is lower than the Northwest. The employment rate for people aged over 65 in the Northwest is 9.8% which is lower than England (11.7%) and second lowest overall once more (to the North East). Inactivity rates for people aged 50-65 in the Northwest are just over 30% which is again the second highest behind the North East – England’s rate is 25.5%. The inactivity rate for the over 65s in the Northwest is 90.1% above England at 88.1% and second highest overall. Men earn, on average, £494 per week in the Northwest, women earn on average £389 per week – 79% of the male earnings. For all England, men earn on average £529pw compared to £417pw for women – also 79% of the male earnings. Men working part time in the Northwest earn less than part time women, with average earnings of £130pw compared to £148pw. For all England part time male workers earn £138pw on average compared to £149pw for female workers.
Regional Intelligence Unit
13
Diversity and Difference 2009 Since 2002 both male and female earnings have increased with female earnings increasing at a slightly higher rate for both Northwest and England. Female workers in the Northwest’s average earnings have increased by 5.4% from 2002-2008; this is better than the England equivalent which stands at 4.6%. Male workers in the Northwest’s average earnings have increased by 3.2% over the same period, this lower than the England equivalent which stands at 3.4% Worklessness Worklessness – which includes unemployment and economic inactivity – has fallen in the North West over the last decade. The employment rate of working age people has risen from 70.5% in 1997 to 71.3% in 2008 (although this has fallen sharply since 2007 in line with the current economic downturn). The employment rate has risen roughly on a par with England over this period, with 165,000 more people in employment in the Northwest overall. In 2007, the highest proportion of working age people in workless households was for British nationals and the Northwest ethnic profile was generally consistent with England (Table 22). In 2007, the proportion of working age people in workless households was highest for British nationals and the Northwest (88.7%) ethnic profile was generally consistent with England (82.6%), however, there was a lower proportion of Indians and Black Caribbean in workless households in the Northwest than England (Table 22). Table 8 Percentage of Working Age People from Different Ethnic Groups in Workless Households England Northwest White British 82.6 88.7 Other White 4.6 2.2 White and Black Caribbean 0.6 0.6 White and Black African 0.2 0.2 White and Asian 0.2 0.0 Other Mixed 0.3 0.2 Indian 1.4 0.5 Pakistani 2.1 2.3 Bangladeshi 1.1 0.8 Other Asian 0.8 0.1 Black Caribbean 1.6 0.5 Black African 1.8 1.1 Other Black 0.2 0.3 Chinese 0.5 0.6 Other 2.1 2.0 Source: Labour Force Survey 2007, ONS
The Prison Population There are around 9,000 men and women in prisons in the Northwest of England. Regional prison statistics do not boil down to ethnicity but figures are available nationally which show the prison population by nationality. Nationally there are 83,500 men and women in prison. Of these 71,200 or 85% are British Nationals, 11,350 or 14% are Foreign Nationals and 1% have no recorded nationality. Breaking down further shows that out of those 11,350 25% are of African nationality, 32% are of European nationality (excluding Britain), 22% are of Asian nationality, 5% are Middle Eastern, 3% Central or South American, 0.5% Oceanic, 11% West Indian and 1% North American. Looking to the Future – The 2011 Census Following the original Diversity and Difference Report ONS plan to produce a regular series of articles which provide an overview of the latest statistics on aspects of society. With the 2011 Census drawing ever closer it is widely acknowledge that there are considerable improvements which can and should be made in the way equality is measured. The Equality and Impact and Assessment carried out to inform the
Regional Intelligence Unit
14
Diversity and Difference 2009 development of the 2011 Census came up with a number of actions including ensuring that guidance is provided with the ethnicity, national identity, language and religion questions to help people understand why they are asked, and how the results are used. Other actions including placing and naming ethnic groupings correctly to reflect current social trends and how to capture the diversity within ethnic groups particularly the African ethnic group. Specifically residents will be asked the following questions in the 2011 census (* indicates new questions). For residents in households: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Name, sex, and date of birth Marital status (including civil partnership status*) Relationship to others within the household Student status Whether or not students live at enumerated address during term time Usual address one year ago Country of birth Citizenship (passports held)* Month and year of entry into the UK* Intended length of stay in the UK* National identity* and ethnic group Religion Language* Welsh language proficiency (in Wales only) General health Long-standing illness or disability Provision of unpaid personal care Educational and vocational qualifications Second residence* Economic activity in the week before the Census Time since last employment Employment status
Regional Intelligence Unit
15
Diversity and Difference 2009
This report is published by the Regional Intelligence Unit as part of its continuing commitment to inform the sustainable economic development of the Northwest of England. It has been produced by the NWDA Research Team, and whilst ever effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the material in this report the NWDA or the RIU cannot accept any responsibility for decisions based on the material that follows
Further Information If you require further information on this report, please contact: Alexander Thomas Senior Social Analyst alexander.thomas@nwda.co.uk 01925-400-296
Renaissance House, Centre Park, Warrington, WA1 1QN Tel: +44 (0)1925 400 100 Fax: +44 (0)1925 400 400 www.nwda.co.uk
Regional Intelligence Unit
16